1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packaging box for packaging goods, and a packaging method using the packaging box, which packaging box and method are used, for example, when intermediately packaged photosensitive printing plates are further packaged (externally packaged).
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 10 shows a conventional packaging box 110 as an example. FIG. 11 shows the packaging box 110 before it has been folded (see Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-B) No. 57-38,150).
As shown in FIG. 11, in the packaging box 110, bottom-surface lamination panels 116 and upper-surface lamination panels 118 are formed adjacently to respective two short sides of a bottom surface panel 112 and an upper surface panel 114. A plurality of bend lines 120 are formed in each of the bottom-surface lamination panel 116 and the upper-surface lamination panel 118. By folding these lamination panels along the bend lines 120, as shown in FIG. 10, four-sided spiral-wound portions 122 and 124 are formed. As a result, goods contained in the packaging box 110 are protected. For example, if a great impact acts on the box from outside, the impact transmitted internally is reduced thereby helping to prevent damage to the goods.
As described above, in the conventional packaging box 110, a process in which the bottom-surface lamination panel 116 and the upper-surface lamination panel 118 are folded along the plurality of bend lines 120 was required. Further, as the size of goods to be packaged increases, great force becomes necessary for the folding operation. Therefore, folding at correct positions substantially only by a manual operation was very difficult. For this reason, there were cases in which a large-size folding apparatus was required, but it resulted in greater manufacturing costs.
FIG. 12 shows a packaging box 140 different from the packaging box shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 shows the packaging box 140 before it has been folded (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 10-16,946).
As shown in FIG. 13, in the packaging box 140, side surface panels 144 are respectively extended from the longer sides of a bottom surface panel 142 and cover surface panels 146 extend from the side surface panels 144. Further, a side surface panel 148 and face panels 150 sequentially extend from each of the shorter sides of the bottom surface panel 142. When the packaging box 140 is assembled, as shown in FIG. 12, an upper surface of the box is structured so as to open like a double door and a three-sided tubular body 152 is formed along each side of the box by the side surface panel 148 and the face panels 150.
However, as can be seen from the unfolded configuration shown in FIG. 13, in the packaging box 140, a length of the side surface panel 144 and the cover surface panel 146 extending from the bottom surface panel 142 and a length of the side surface panel 148 and the face panels 150 extending from the bottom surface panel 142 are both long. For this reason, a great quantity of corrugated fiberboard becomes necessary in forming such a packaging box 140. Particularly, as the size of goods to be packaged become larger, the quantity of required corrugated fiberboard increases, thereby resulting in an increase of manufacturing costs.
The present invention provides a packaging box which can be manufactured at lower cost and by which goods to be packaged can be easily packaged, and further provides a method for packaging goods using the packaging box.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging box for receiving and packaging goods. The goods include a top surface and a bottom surface, and a number of side surfaces. The packaging box includes a bottom surface member having a base panel formed substantially in the same shape as the bottom surface of the goods to be packaged. The packaging box further includes a plurality of side panels corresponding in number to the number of side surfaces of the goods. Each side panels extends integrally from the base panel and is substantially the same shape as its respective corresponding side surface of the goods. The box further includes a top surface member formed to have dimensions substantially equal to dimensions as a top surface of the goods.
Accordingly, few or no useless portions are formed in the material composing the packaging box (for example, a sheet material such as corrugated fiberboard or cardboard), the packaging box is foldable, and initially it is provided in a flattened or unfolded configuration. After the goods are packaged in the box, there is substantially no overlap of any of the base panel, the side panels, and the top surface member with one another. Namely, the packaging box can be formed using a reduced amount of material and thus costs are reduced. Moreover, the bottom surface, side surfaces, and top surface of the goods to be packaged are covered by the base panel, side panels, and top surface member of the packaging box. Thus, the goods are protected from bending or deformation.
In packaging, the goods are placed on the base panel of the packaging box when it is unfolded, in such a manner that the bottom surface of the goods substantially coincides with the base panel of the packaging box. Then, the side panels are each folded along a boundary between the base panel and the side panels so as to be substantially made parallel to the side surfaces of the goods. Further, the top surface member is disposed so as to substantially coincide with the top surface of the goods, and the top surface member is fixed in place over the goods. As described above, the number of folds is fewer as compared with a conventional packaging box, and packaging is facilitated. Further, it is not necessary to use a folding device or the like, and therefore, costs are reduced.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the packaging box further includes an attachment flap integrally extending from each side panel. When the packaging box receives goods therein, each side panel is folded to extend substantially parallel to a corresponding side surface of the goods. The attachment flaps are folded to extend substantially parallel to a top surface of the goods, without the attachment flaps overlapping one another. This permits the top plate member to be fixed to the attachment flaps, thereby connecting the top plate member to the bottom plate member. The lack of overlap between attachment flaps, reduces the amount of material required, and therefore, costs as well.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, when the attachment flaps are folded substantially parallel to the top surface of the goods, the attachment flaps define an opening located substantially centrally above the goods. The opening permits small attachment flaps, further reducing material requirements, and thus costs.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, the bottom and top surface members are each formed from a sheet of material. Each sheet includes a plurality of substantially corrugations formed therein. When the packaging box receives goods, the top surface member is placed over the goods with its corrugations oriented substantially transverse to the corrugations in the bottom surface member. Directionality in the strength of the packaging box is therefore reduced and the rigidity of the packaging box is increased. Thus, the packaging box with goods packaged therein is better able to resist deformation and retain a fixed shape. For example, when the packaging box is lifted up by putting hands on the bottom plate and holding the box in one""s arms, no consideration of a direction to which hands are placed is required and handling of the packaging box becomes easier.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, a reinforcing plate is attached to the bottom panel.
Since the reinforcing plate is attached to the bottom panel, the bottom panel and the reinforcing plate are integrated with each other to improve the strength thereof, and the strength of the entire packaging box. As a result, deflection or deformation of the packaging box is better prevented. Accordingly, even when the goods to be packaged are heavy or have a large bottom surface area (in this case, the area of the bottom panel also becomes large, and therefore, the bottom panel itself is more apt to deflect), the bottom panel integrated with the reinforcing plate better resists deflection or deformation.
Further, the reinforcing plate is attached to the bottom panel, and therefore, there is reduced possibility of the reinforcing plate being inadvertently displaced or separated from the bottom panel.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, each side panel extends a distance from the base panel substantially equal to a height dimension of the goods, plus a thickness dimension of the top surface member.
Moreover, the attachment flaps and the side panels are folded after the top plate member is disposed in surface contact with the top surface of the goods. Therefore, the attachment flaps can be brought into surface contact with the upper surface of the top plate member. As a result, the side panels surround the top plate member, and the top plate member is positioned in such a manner that the upper and lower surfaces of the top surface member respectively make surface contact with the attachment flaps and the top surface of the goods. Accordingly, fixing the top surface member to the bottom surface member is facilitated.
Further, when the top surface member is fixed to the bottom surface member using adhesive tape or the like, the adhesive tape may be applied along the ends of the attachment flaps (a position near the center of the top surface of the goods to be packaged). For this reason, in cooperation with the above-described third aspect, the amount of adhesive tape required for fixing the top surface member to the bottom surface member decreases. Further, the adhesive tape can be applied in a planar manner (it is not necessary that the adhesive tape be applied over large corner portions), and therefore, applying the adhesive tape is facilitated.
Even when the top surface member is fixed to the bottom surface member using adhesives such as normal paste, bond, and hot melt adhesive instead of adhesive tape, it suffices that the adhesives be applied along ends of the attachment flaps in a linear or dotted manner. Therefore, the amount of adhesives required is reduced. Additionally, the top surface member may be fixed to the bottom surface member using adhesive tape and other adhesives together, thereby resulting in greater adherence.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, a method for packaging goods is provided. The method includes placing the goods on a foldable box (on an interior bottom surface of the box). Then a top surface member of the box is placed over the goods, opposite the bottom surface member. Thereafter, the box is folded, wherein the box includes side panels with an attachment flap extending from each side panel. The side panels are folded to extend toward the top surface member, and the attachment flaps fold to extend substantially parallel to the top surface member. Then, the attachment flaps are fixed to the top surface member.
Typically, the top and bottom surface members will be stronger in one direction. The method further includes orienting the top surface member such that it is placed over the goods with the direction that the top surface member is stronger in, oriented substantially transverse to the direction that the bottom surface member is stronger in. Directionality in the strength of the resulting packaging is thus reduced and rigidity of the package increased.